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Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, but I do love writing stories.

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Later that day, after practicing her violin in her room, Alexis descended the stairs once again to check on her father (who had been moping all day after breakfast). Halfway down the steps she heard a knock at their apartment door.

"I got it!" Came her father's voice. Her father appeared from the couch, and opened the door. "Beckett!" he said brightly, opening the door wider for her to come in.

Not wanting to distract, Alexis dashed back up the steps and stood behind the wall at the beginning of the steps, listening.

"Can I get you anything?" She heard her father asked. She peered between a large potted plant and the wall in order to see.

Beckett stood facing Castle. "This isn't a social call, Castle. It's a business one."

Castle looked slightly surprised. "All right…what is it?"

Beckett opened her mouth slightly, and then closed it again.

His eyes widened apprehensively. "Well?"

Beckett took a breath, and it seemed to Alexis that she was preparing herself for something she didn't want to do. "You don't need to come into work tomorrow." She said finally. It was almost a whisper, but cold and calculating.

Ever the optimist, the smile on Castle's face only slid a fraction of an inch. "Why? Are we going rogue? What happened? What are we do-"

"Castle our partnership has been terminated." Beckett interrupted, stronger this time.

Now the smile fell all the way from his face. "By who?"

Beckett kept her face emotionless. "By me."

Hurt added to the disbelief on his face. "What?" He asked quietly. "Why would you do that? Things were great."

"Were." She said sharply. "Things change, Castle. Get used to it."

From the look on his face, Alexis guessed her father's heart must have just plummeted. "They don't have to."

Beckett nodded. "Yeah, they do." She locked eyes with him before continuing. "I can't have you shadowing me anymore. It's distracting."

"Distracting?" Castle asked. "It's been three years and you're just figuring out it's distracting?"

"You seem to have a problem hearing. Might want to get that checked out." She snapped.

Castle said nothing for a moment, and then laughed. "I get it." He said. "I get it! This is because I thought I knew what I was doing. Listen, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Gag's over."

"This isn't a gag." She said.

Castle studied the woman in front of him. "Alexis told me that there was something else that was wrong if you were this mad about that."

Beckett nodded. "Alexis is a smart girl."

Castle nodded.

"…but she's wrong."

Behind the pot, Alexis's mouth went agape.

"You can't get rid of me." Castle tried. "I'm certified by the mayor."

"I talked to him." Beckett said. "Turns out, he had no idea that you were still working with the NYPD after Heat Wave. He said it was up to me, and I elected to remove the thorn from my side."

Alexis glared at Beckett, well aware that she couldn't see her. Who was this woman to insult her dad like that?

Castle stayed quiet for a long time. "We're partners." He said smiling weakly. "We catch criminals together. We're a good team. We're friends. Why would you want to ruin that?"

Wordlessly, Beckett walked past him and to the door.

"Kate!" Castle yelled, sounding desperate.

She stopped with her hand on the doorknob and turned to face him. "Yes?"

"I need you." He almost whispered.

Beckett only hesitated a moment, letting his words hang in silence before saying. "Goodbye, Mr. Castle." And slipping out the door.

Alexis almost forgot how to breathe. Oh, yeah. She thought. There's definitely a problem.

-
Ouch. Want to know what Beckett's deal is? Stay tuned.

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